Typewriting machine



May 6 1924.

G. O. DEGENER TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1923 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6 1924.

G. O. DEGEN ER .TYPEWRITING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 6 1924.

G. O. DEGENER TYPEWRITING MACHINE] Filed May 18, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet s unumunnnn Feb. 12, 1923,

Patented May6, 1 924.

. UNITED STATES GUSTAVE O. DEGENER,

OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WRITER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

PA ENT OFFICE.

, Ronni. harry.-

ITYPEWRITINQ- macnmn Application filed Ma s, 192:. Serial No. 639,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE O. DEGENER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to typewriting ma- (shines in which there is a relative movement between the printing members and the platen for. case rinting. In some machines the platen is shlfted for this purpose, while .in others the type bars with their segment or support are thus shifted.

In the Royal standard machine the platen is shifted vertically forcase printing, one or more shift keys being connected with the carriage by mechanism which normally holds the carria e in lower position, but which when a shlft key is depressed causes the carriage and its platen to be raised to the Royal machine upper case printing. In

counterbalance the in order to partially weight of the carriage so that the load on the shift keys may be reduced, a horizontally arranged spring is employed which is connected with the shift mechanism and is put under such tension as to tend to raise the carriage and to thus assist in the shifting operation. In the Royal standard machine the carriage is returned to normal position solely by gravity, as the counterbalancing spring is relatively inactive when the carriage is shifted to its full extent.

In the pending application filed by Edward B. Hess Jan. 13, 1923, No. 612,452, the pending application of Bernard J. Dowd filed Jan. 11, 1923, pending application of Lewis G. Myers filed No. 618,576, mechanism is shown, described and claimed whereby an initial impulse is given to the return movement of the carriage by what is known as a repulser. In this way the return of the carriage is quickened and the strength of the counterbalancing spring may be increased so that the shift key may be operated with a lighter touch.

According to my invention I employ repulser mechanism for assisting the return movement of the carriage only when the machine is operated rapidly. When the machine is operated slowly, i. e., when a shift key is depressed slowly, the repulser mechanism is not brought into action.

No. 612,117, and the in the accompanying drawings a counterbalancing spring constructed and arranged somewhat" differently from those hereto- I have embodied in the machine illustrated where a plurality of vertical springs is employed, they are arranged vertically on opposite sides of the center of gravity of the carriage. Said springs are connected directly to rigid parts of the shift frame instead of being connected to levers as in, the usual construction.

Although my invention is applicable to typewriting machines in general in whic there is a relative movement between the printing members and the platen, it is pzarticularly serviceable in machines of the.

oyal type in which the platen is mounted in a carriage which is shifted vertically for case printing. The mechanism containing a preferred embodiment ofmy invention includes means whereby the shift key is cushioned in a novel way during its depression.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a View in longitudinal vertical cross section of a typewriting machine of the Royal type, showing so much of the usual mechanism as is necessary to illustrate how my invention may be embodied in such mechanism. All parts shown are in lower case position.

Figure 2 is a detail view of parts of the repulser mechanism and parts-of the shift key cushioning mechanism.-

Figure 3 is a detail view of a part, of

one of the shift levers.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the repulser mechanism and parts associated therewith, showing the condition of the repulser mechanism when in operation, i. e., after a shift key has been depressed rapidly. This figure of the drawings also shows the condition of the cushioning devices when the shift frame has been raised to its full extent and just before the shift key has been further depressed.

Figure 49 is a side -view of portions of the repulser mechanism showing the position of the parts when the shift key is operated slowly.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showlngparticularly the condition of the cushion zg mechanism during the cushionin a Figure 6 is a side view showing the mechanism on the right hand side of the machine It )will be observed that on the right hand side of the machine the cushioning devices and the repulser mechanism are not used The drawings show only so much of a typewriting machine structure as is necessary to indicate how my invention may be applied to the preferred form of machine. The machine frame is indicated at A, the

I carriage at B, and the platen at C. The

shift rail D has short downwardly extending legs E connected near their upper ends to arms F pivoted at f to the legs E and at f' to the machine frame. The lower ends of the legs E are pivotally connected at g to shift levers G which are pivoted to thesides of the machine frame at g.

The carriage is held in lower case position by a latch H connected by a link H with the vertical arm k of a shift lever K; When the shift key is inraised position, the latch engages a bracket H on the shift frame and holds said frame against vertical movement. When the shift frame is in raised position, it is thus held if desired by means of a lever L adapted to engage the bracket H and connected by a link L with the vertical arm Z of a shift lock lever L'-. Parts of the shift lock mechanism are indicated at M and all of the parts hereinbefore described are of usual construction.

The upward movement of the shift frame is limited by one or more stops N and the downward movement of the carriage is lim ited by stops N. These stops are also of well known construction.

In order to approximately counterbalance the weight of the carriage and parts moving therewith, I employ springs which instead of being arranged horizontally as heretofore are arranged vertically. Preferably two such vertical springs are used on each side of the machine and they are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the center of gravity of the carriage as shown and indicated by the dotted line X in Figure 1. Each vertical counterbalancing spring 0 is attached at its upper end to a flanged plate O secured to the machine frame, the two springs being arranged on opposite sides of the center of gravity of the carriage, and each spring is attached at itslower end to an adjustable frame member P which is vertically adjustable by means of screws on a frame member P attached to the leg E of the carriage shift frame at g. The springs O are normally under tension and approximately counterbalance the weight of thecarriage and parts connected therewith so that the load on the shift key is very small when it is operated. It will be ob served that the springs are so arranged as to pull on the shift frame in such manner as to tend to raise it. When the shift .frame is raised forcase shifting; the tension of the sprin s is relaxed and, therefore, the springs do not tend to lower the carriage at any time. The frame members P and P are shown detached in Figures 8 and 9. It will be observed that the member P has arms 12 extending laterally from its opposite ends and the springs are attached to these arms. The vertical part 12' of the frame member P is slotted at p to receive the screws which attach it to the member P. These screws extend through holes 12 in the member P and engage a locking late P shown in Figure 7. The member has a vertical portion or leg which is connected with the member P as described and it has a laterally extending portion 12 shown by dotted lines in Figure 7, from which extends vertically an upper portion 12 from the upper end of which extends laterally a flange 72 This flange p bears against the leg E of the carriage shift frame and prevents the member P from movin laterally out of working position. The b0 t p for securing the member P to the leg E extends through a bushing g in the leg E and on this bushing the shift lever G is pivoted as indicated in Figure 7. The bolt 9 P to the leg E while the lever G is mounted to move about the axis of this bolt. It will be observed by reference to Figure 9 that the member P hasa hole 72 to receive the bolt p".

Inasmuch as the springs O are attached at their upper ends to a stationary part 0' of the machine frame and at their lower ends to a frame secured to the shift frame, it is obvious that said springs serve as counterbalancing devices in the way above described. The tension of the springs may be adjusted by means of the screws p in an obv1ous manner.

It is desirable as in other machines that the downward movement of the shift key should be cushioned near the end of its stroke. I have provided novel devices for this purpose. As shown these devices -consistof a small bell crank lever Q pivoted at thu's rigidly attaches the frame member,

1 and thus slightly raise the to the shift lever G and connected at its lower end to a link Q which is in turn connected to the arm is of the shift key 'K. As indicated at there is some lost motion between the en of the link Q 'and the lever Q in order that the latch H'may be withdrawn from the carriage frame before the shift lever G is operated to raise'the carriage. A spring Q connects the u per rearwardly extendin arm of lever with a rearwardly exten ing arm 9 of the lever G and tends to rock the lever Q on this pivot and to draw the rod or link Q'rearwardly V shift key. When the shift-key is being depressed to its full extent, as indicated in Figure 5, after the carria e has been raised its depression is resisted' y the spring Q which thus acts as a cushion to the shift key when said key is depressed during the cushioning period in the manner indicated in Figure 5. This cushioning operation occurs whether the shift key 1s operated slowly or rap1dly. The rearwardly extending arm of the lever Q is notched as shown in order that the tension of the spring Q may be adjusted to vary the cushioning effect. It will be observed that the lower arm of the lever Q has flanges (1 (Fig. 2) at front and rear ends between which extends a projection g on the shift lever G. In this way the movement of the lever Q is limited within proper bounds.

When the machine is operated slowly, the depression of a shift key raises the carriage with a light touch inasmuch as the springs 0 approximately counterbalance the weight of the carriage and the carriage is returnd to normal position solely by its weight, i. e., by gravity, but when the machine is used by a rapid operator, it is desirable that the carriage should be returned quickly when passing from upper case to lower case position. As before stated, mechanism has heretofore been provided for this purpose, but such mechanism operates in the same way for a slow operator as for a rapid operator. Accordin to my present invention, the repulser mec lianism o erates only when the shift key is depresse rapidly, and without any adjustment it automatically remains out of operation when the key is depressed slowly.

A two arm lever R is pivoted at 1' to the front end of one of the shift levers G. This lever B has a forwardly extending arm 1'' and a rearwardly extending arm 1- the latter arm being notched at its rear end as indicated at m. The forwardly extending arm r of the lever R is connected to the upper end of a spring S which is secured at its lower end to a bracket T attached to the machine frame. Within the spring is, a

small cylinder U of rubber, leather, or similar soft material. This cylinder rests on an adjustable screw U and when in normal position as shown in Figure 1, the forwardly extend in arm r' 'of the lever R rests on top of this cy inder When the machine is oper- ,tended and assists the return movement of the carria The rearwardly extending arm 1" is apted'at times to engage a latch W pivoted at g to the shift lever G and held in normal positionby a spring w, the upper end of which is attached to the arm 9 of the shift lever G. When in lower case position the lever R does not engage the latch W, but when the shift key is operated rapidly a sudden upward movement is given to the front end of the lever G and this sudden movement of the lever G causes the lever R to turn on its pivot, its front end being restrained by the spring S (which does not then become active) and its rear end being moved into engagement with the latch. In other words, when the mechanism is operated rapidly the arm 7* of the lever R is moved downwardly relatively to the upward movementof the shift lever G which carries the latch W and thus the lower arm 1" of, the lever R is moved towards the latch which it engages and continues so engaged when the shift frame is raised in the manner indicated in Figures 4 and 5. During its movement the spring S is placed under tension, which tension is gradually increased as the carriage rises and when the shift key is released, the repulser spring, having considerable power stored in it, gives a quick impulse to the return movement of the carriage, thus efiecting'when rapidly used in this way a material increase in the rapidity of thetypewriting operation.

" It will be observed that the repulser mechanism automatically accommodates itself to the slow and rapid operator without anyadjustment of any of the mechanism being effective to rapidly return the carriage to lower case position when the machine is operated rapidly or to remain out of operation when the machine is operated slowly.

llO

Figure 6 of the drawings shows the right hand side of the machine where the second shift key K is located. It will be observed that the key K is attached to a rod or shaft K to which the shift key on the left hand side of the machine is attached. While I prefer to employ counterbalancing springs O on both the right hand and left hand side of the machine, springs arranged at one side only of the machine may be employed.

I claim as my invention 2- 1. In a typewriting machine, a case shift mechanism having a shift key and equipped with repulser devices, and means to render said devices efiective only when the shift key is rapidly depressed.

2. In a typewriting machine, a case shift mechanism having a shift key and equipped with a repulser spring, and means to render said spring effective only when the shift key is rapidly depressed.

3. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism including a shift lever operated by the shift key to raise the platen carriage, a two-armed lever pivotally connected with the shift lever, a repulser spring connected with one end of the two-armed lever, and a latch carried by said shift lever with which an arm of the two-armed lever is adapted to engage. ,v

4. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism including a shift lever operated by a shift key to raise the platen carriage, a two-armed lever pivotally connected with said shift lever, a repulserspring connected with one end of the two-armed lever, a latch carried by the shift lever with which the two-armed lever is adapted to engage, and a buffer associated with the repulser spring and which is adapted to engage said twoarmed lever.

5. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism including a shift lever operated bv a shift key to raise the platen carriage, a two-armed lever pivotally connected with said shift lever, a repnlser spring connected with one end of the two-armed lever, a latch carried by the shift lever with which the two-armed leveris adapted to engage, a buffer associated with the repulser spring and which is adapted to engage said twoarmed lever, and means for adjusting the position of said buffer.

6. In a typewriting machine, case shift mechanism including a shift lever pivotally connected with the machine frame and pivotally connected with the shift frame, a two-armed lever pivotaliy connected with the shift lever, a repulser spring to which one arm of the leeris connected, and a latch pivotally connected with the shift lever and adapted at times to engage the two-armed lever.

- 7. In a typewriting machine, carriage shift mechanism comprising a shift frame,

a shift key, a shift lever pivotally connected with the machine iframe and with the shift frame, a spring pressed two-arm lever pivotally connected with'the shift'lever, and a link connecting the two-armed lever with the shift key. e

8. In a typewriting machine, carriage shift mechanism comprising a shift frame,

a link extending from the shift lever and having a lost motion connection with the two-armed lever.

10. In a typewriting machine, a carriagc, a shift frame on which the carriage is supported, vertically arranged counterbalancing springs arranged on opposite sides of the center of gravity of the carriage and connected at their upper ends to the machine frame and at their lower ends to a part of the shift frame.

11. Ina typewriting machine, a carriage, a shift frame on which the carriage is supported, vertically arranged counterbalancing springs connected at their upper ends with the machine frame, and means for connecting the lower ends of said springs to the shift frame comprising a member attached to the shift frame and another member to which the lower ends of the springs are attached which is vertically adjustable on said first mentioned member.

In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto subscribed my name.

GUSTAVE O. DEGENER. 

